Like Ghosts in the Snow
by ToBeUnmasked
Summary: Ten years can change a person drastically. Sometimes it's for the good, other times not so much. When someone Aoba cares for takes a turn for the worse, he finds himself longing for their younger days. Rated 'M' for a reason. WARNINGS INSIDE.
1. Time

**WARNINGS: AU, possible OOCness, violence, gang activity, possible drug use, and smut in later chapters**

**The beginning is written in first person, but it then switches to third person after the flashback sequence, as it shall stay~**  
**I've decided on making this a more modern time fic, which will certainly be riddled with gang activity and the alike. Enjoy! **

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**Chapter 1**

"Aoba!" Granny called from the door. It was that time of day again. Time for me to come in and have dinner. Time to say goodbye to Noiz. I turned to my friend, four years my junior, with a frown. He beamed at me.

"Tomorrow, then?" asked the younger boy. I nodded my head reluctantly and hugged him before turning to glance at Granny, who was waiting impatiently at the door. Granny was my guardian. My parents were still alive, but, due to work, were never around. That's ok, though. Granny has always taken good care of me. She can be grumpy at times, but I know she really cares about me. When I turned to look back at Noiz, the eight-year-old had already vanished. I looked around in a vain attempt to catch a glance of him leaving. He always did this. Just... vanished.

"Aoba!" I heard the cracked old voice call out again. I shot her a glare before stomping up to the house, passing her, and stepping inside. I hated having to say goodbye to Noiz. We would hang out and play outside my house pretty much everyday. I had another friend, Koujaku, who used to come over too, but he left about a year ago. I met Noiz a month later. Since then, we've been inseparable. It was a bit difficult for me to make friends. I refused to allow my blue hair to be cut above my shoulders, so other kids thought I was weird for it. I often got mistaken for a girl at first glance.

I sit down at the table, a bitter look still stitched across my face. Granny enters the kitchen and begins making my plate.

"Did you wash your hands?" I heard her ask as she continued her work.

"Yes," came my irritable mutter of a reply.

"YOU WOULD SIT THERE AND LIE TO ME AS I PREPARE YOUR DINNER!?" She spun around and glared at me with much hostility. I wince slightly and sink down into my seat.

"Sorry, Granny."

"DON'T APOLOGIZE! GET UP AND DO IT!" I jump up from my chair and run to the bathroom, hastily washing my hands.

After dinner I find myself laying in bed, a small black ball of fur curled up on my chest, fast asleep. Ren had been a gift from my parents. I received him this year for my birthday. Apparently, a puppy was supposed to make up for them not being able to make it themselves this year. Just like every other year. They always send me gifts instead of attempting to come see me in person. Well, I do quite like Ren. His fur is soft against my fingers as I stroke his sleeping form lightly and stare up at my ceiling, wondering for a second what it would be like to have a normal family. I shake the thought from my head. I _do_ have a normal family. Granny and Ren are my family, and they're all I need.

I awake the next morning to the sun shining proudly in through my balcony door. I yawn and sit up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I try to adjust to the light. My body aches slightly as I stretch and I swing my legs over the side of my bed and stand up. _I wonder if Noiz is outside yet,_ I think as I head downstairs. Noiz had a tendency to show up randomly and wait for me outside. He would usually get here before I woke up. When I finally did get up, he would sometimes come in and eat breakfast with me.

I open the door to find that he hadn't arrived quite yet. Closing the door, I make my way into the kitchen where Granny stood, making breakfast. She always seemed to have perfect timing. Breakfast had either just been finished, or she was in the middle of preparing it, every morning when I woke up. Perhaps it was the smell of her amazing cooking that woke me up in the first place.

"Your friend not here yet?" she asked, busy at the stove.

"Nope," I answer drowsily. Granny walks over with my plate and places it in front of me. I stare down at it, salivating a bit. "It looks delicious!" I said as Granny moved to make her own plate. My hands clasp together and I close my eyes. "Thanks for the food!" I say hurriedly, then I begin to dig in. As always, it was very tasty. It didn't seem long before I was leaning back in my chair with a full and content sigh of approval.

After thanking Granny for the awesome meal I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth. I check outside again to see if Noiz had arrived. Still nothing. My watch said that it was 11:14 A.M. This is the latest he's been in a while. _Come to think of it... Where does Noiz live, anyway? _I wondered inwardly. We always hung out over here. I had never been to his house. I didn't even know which direction his house was in, since he always managed to leave when I wasn't paying attention and disappear completely before I could turn to look. The thought was shrugged off as I went to the living room to watch t.v.

For the next couple of hours I got up to check for Noiz about every thirty minutes. After a while I checked every hour. It was now about six in the evening and granny was in the kitchen finishing up dinner. I thought I heard a soft knock at the front door and quickly jumped up to answer it. Excitement rushed into my being as I anticipated answering the door and seeing Noiz. When I opened it, however, no one was there. I frown and step out to look further, feeling something hard under my foot in the process. I pull my foot up to see what it is. Bellow me was a rock with what looked to be a folded up piece of paper attached to it by a rubber-band .

"What the..." I reach down and pick up the rock, detaching the paper. Once it was unfolded I studied it. It appeared to be a note. The writing was rather sloppy, but I could at least make out what it said. I began to read it.

_**Dear Aoba,**_

_**Sorry I didn't make it by to play today. Something came up. I don't think I'll be coming by anymore. I have to leave. I wanted to at least say bye first, which is why I wrote this note. I only had enough time to drop it off and leave right away, though. maybe we'll see each other again some day.**_

_**~Noiz**_

_This note is really well written for an eight-year-old,_ I observe. Then it sinks in, what the note was saying. Something began in the pit of my stomach and in my chest that resembled a fluttering. Not the good kind of fluttering you get when you figure out that you 'like' someone, but the bad kind of fluttering. Like the kind you get when something unexpected and dreadful happens. Like the kind you get when your best friend, your only friend, suddenly says he won't be coming around anymore and you have no way to keep in touch with him. I crumble up the piece of paper and drop it on the ground, leaving it to be forgotten as I slowly turn and walk back inside the house.

~ … ~

It was a relatively easy day at the shop. Not particularly busy, but not slow either. It was now time for Aoba to be getting off. Haga, his boss, asked him to make a quick delivery to the post office on his way out. Aoba was twenty-three and had been working at this parts shop, Heibon, for a few years now. They sold all sorts of parts. Parts for cars, bikes, electronics, and even had a few miscellaneous tool kits as well. They would occasionally make repairs if something broken was brought in and the issue was simple enough to diagnose and correct.

The young man waved to his elderly boss as he took his leave of the shop, a box of assorted parts in hand. Ren, who was now the ripe old age of ten, but still barely larger than a chihuahua, scurried behind him as he walked to the post office. The fluffy little dog was with Aoba always. Even at work. The post office was just around the corner from the shop, and on the way to Aoba's house, so he certainly had no issue dropping things off there on his way out. The blue-haired male was greeted at the door by an ecstatic older woman and her Shih Tzu, Clara.

"Oh! Aoba! I was just about to lock up for the day," she said. Clara runs over and begins sniffing Ren, yipping happily. Ren backs away with a small whimper. Aoba chuckled and turned his attention back to Yoshie. Yoshie was in her late fifties, with shirt brown hair, glasses over her light brown eyes, and was a bit on the bulky side. She always wore clothes that looked too stuffy, in Aoba's opinion, but she was still always very neat and tidy. She also kept Clara's sand colored coat well groomed, with a pink bow holding up a tuft of fur at the hop of her head.

"Oh... I'm sorry. I got off a bit late today. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, would you mind taking this package and sending it out tomorrow?" He asked, holding the small box up with an apologetic smile. Yoshie nodded and took the box. She was usually much more talkative, but it was apparent that she was a bit tired that day.

"That won't be a problem. You have a safe walk home, dear," said the woman with a soft smile as she opened the door to the post office and went inside. She waved to Aoba as the male and his dog began to walk away. Clara sat on the sidewalk and tilted her head, looking a bit sad. Ren hurried to walk beside his owner, seemingly glad to leave the female dog behind.

"You know, Ren... You're getting pretty old. I think it's a bit sad you haven't found a single mate all this time. I mean, Clara's a nice enough dog, right? And she's pretty cute." A small snort of distaste escaped the dog, making Aoba laugh. On their way home, they pass by Koujaku's shop. The man had come back to town when Aoba was in his late teens. It had been quite the shock, to say the least. Aoba was both happy and irritated to see him again.

Koujaku always liked to tease Aoba about his hair, and constantly begged him to let him cut it. Aoba continued to refuse he offer. He liked his hair long. By the time Koujaku had returned to the town, Aoba had managed to make another great friend, Mizuki, who happened to be in a gang. Mizuki's gang wasn't as violent as most of the other gangs around the area, and simply acted like one big family.

Needless to say, even though Aoba had been quite lonely after Noiz left, with this rather large group of friends he no longer had to deal with loneliness. Koujaku had also formed a nonviolent gang. This sort of thing was common in this town. It wasn't the safest area to live in, so people had a tendency to team up and protect each other.

Aoba had planned on stepping in to at least say a quick 'hello' to his friend, but the hairdresser appeared to be preoccupied by a small group of swooning ladies, who the blue-haired man assumed were some of Koujaku's patients. He couldn't blame them. Despite his body being littered with scars, the man was extremely attractive. Hell, the scars might have even added on to his appeal. Koujaku also kept his his hair long, keeping the navy strands pulled back in a ponytail. He was known for wearing a red kimono, along with quite a few accessories, and a pet red bird named 'Beni' that remained perched on his shoulder the majority of the time. The kimono, which he kept open over his torso, revealed a few scars along his chest, as well as a small glimpse of a tattoo on the left side of his chest that bloomed to his shoulder and down his arm. Yes, Koujaku was attractive. Even Aoba could see that. The male sighed and shook his head as he passed the shop and continued home.

Aoba was beginning to feel hungry and swore he could almost smell Granny's cooking now that he was just a block away. As he turned the last corner and his house came into view, however, his appetite shrank to nothingness and slight nausea began to build in its place. There, a few feet away from his house, was a man laying on the ground who appeared to have been beaten to a bloody pulp. Ren took of towards the body and sniffed at it, Aoba following cautiously. The dog looked up at his owner and whined. They lived in a small subdivision, a tad safer than other places within the town, and everyone basically knew each other, so Aoba wasn't used to seeing this sort of thing so close to home and worried that the injured person might be one of his neighbors.

"Who is it, boy?" Though, as he drew closer to the person and a heavily pierced face came into view, the answer struck him like a bag of bricks falling from the sky and his heart felt as though it had stopped, his breath catching in his throat. His hazel eyes were wide as he took in the sight before him. The unconscious male had short blond hair, currently drenched in blood which was also streaming down his face. The white part of his shirt was also blood-soaked, the black and green short sleeves, as well as his black pants were hopelessly shredded. Beside and under him lay what looked to be belts, a matching toboggan, and other accessories. Though his appearance had changed a fair bit, Aoba could still recognize his old friend. "Is that... Noiz?"

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**Author's note:**

**I do hope at least someone finds this fic to their liking! I haven't earned much confidence in my works quite yet. This isn't my first fic, but it's literally been years since I've written one, and it was in a whole different category. I've never uploaded a fic to FF, so if I've done something wrong please forgive/correct me.  
**

**Constructive criticism is always welcome!  
**

_Peace, love, and gore  
_

_~Tobe_


	2. Uncertainty

Aoba had planned on calling an ambulance, phone in hand before his arm was grabbed suddenly, drawing a startled gasp from his throat. His eyes wandered downward and met the emerald gaze below. It was mesmerizing. Had he always fancied green eyes? He had no recollection of ever finding any particular eye color better than the next. They were unfocused and held an intense emotion that Aoba was having a distinctly difficult time identifying. Anger, fear, and perhaps a touch of relief? Pierced and busted lips began twitching as the younger struggled to talk.

"No...hospital," he managed to utter. The voice was dry and strangled and the wounded person fell back into unconsciousness immediately after. _No hospital? _What exactly was Aoba expected to do? The boy was in dire straights and displaying some very serious injuries. Aoba's teeth worked anxiously at his lip as he contemplated on ignoring the demand. It would be the wise thing to do, right? His ideals battled within is mind, unsure of what to do. It would be obvious to anyone who laid eyes on this person that medical attention was greatly required. However Aoba couldn't simply overlook what had just been requested.

With only another moments hesitation, Aoba carefully hoisted the teen from the ground and toted him to his home. _Granny will know what to do. _He struggled to get the door open with the bloodied individual in his arms. This had, of course, been one of the days he felt like being responsible and locking up after leaving that morning. His grandmother had clearly not unlocked the door either. Aoba was aware that the less you move an injured person - especially if there appears to be injuries to the head - the better, so laying him back down on the ground to free up his hands was out of the question

Giving up on his endeavors, a single blue and white boot kicked at the bottom of the door in hopes to grab the attention of the elderly woman inside. Ren stood at his side whimpering worriedly. After a few moments Aoba lifted his foot to kick the door again, but quickly retracted it as the door was flung open to reveal Tae, a grumpy pink-haired granny, wielding a wooden spoon in one hand.

"What, you remember to lock the door, but forget to take your key?" She assumed. "If dinner burns it'll be your fault-" Her eyes fell on Aoba's find, widening in shock.

"Granny, I don't know what to do. I think it's Noi-"

"You call an ambulance, of course! Haven't you any sense?" Aoba jumped slightly at the tone, shaking his head.

"He told me not to," defended the grandson. "I was about to, then he woke up and stopped me. He said, 'no hospital' and passed out again." The old woman's eyes closed as she massaged her temples in frustration, trying to take in the current scene being splayed in front of her. With a sigh she moved aside.

"Bring him inside and put him on the couch. But hold on a moment. I want to put down a towel so he doesn't bleed all over the furniture." Tae closed the door after her grandson and hastily hobbled to the bathroom, grabbing a couple of towels from the cabinet. When she entered the living room she could see that Aoba was now having a bit of difficulty holding the other male up, his arms growing tired. She placed the towels on the couch and beckoned for Aoba to lay the injured down. "Go get me my kit." The old woman crouched down in front of the couch and began examining the boy as Aoba ran to do as he was told. "Turn off the stove in the kitchen as well," she called.

Her wrinkled fingers worked at picking through the blond strands carefully to confirm whether or not there were injuries to the head. A small laceration came into view a bit back from the bangs. The depth of it was currently unknown, as was the severity. She about to lift the male's shirt to examine him further when Aoba returned with the medical kit. She silently took it and snapped it open, browsing for a few items that she set aside as she found each one.

With a pair of latex gloves now secured over her hands she returned to the head to inspect the gash more closely. She let out a silent sigh and her shoulders slumped slightly as some tension was lifted. Though there was a great deal of blood oozing from the abrasion its appearance was much worse than the actual injury. She deduced from the appearance of the cut that someone had grazed him with a knife. It was quite an odd place to receive a knife wound, and the boy was lucky it wasn't more serious.

Aoba watched as his grandmother skillfully treated and patched each cut and scrape with care. When she finally stood and removed her gloves it had been about forty minutes.

"Everything appears to be in order," she grumbled, repacking her kit and moving to put it back in its rightful place and dispose of the soiled gloves. "Just leave him be. Keep an eye on him, though. Let me know if he wakes up." And with that she resumed her tasks in the kitchen. With his hazel eyes lock onto the sleeping form before him, Aoba wracked his brain for a clear image of his old friend. This person certainly resembled him, and looked to be around the right age as well, but there was something about his eyes that threw the the blue-haired youth for a loop. Noiz had always been kind when they were kids. Now that he thought back Aoba could remember thinking that Noiz had seemed very lonely at times.

But this guy... When he had regained consciousness for that brief moment outside, his eyes held many different emotions. Some that Aoba couldn't imagine Noiz illustrating on his young, gentle face. Sure, ten years was a long time. It was certainly enough to change a person, but this was ridiculous. If this person was truly Noiz, then over the course of ten years Noiz had managed to become a completely different person all together.

"Dinner!" Aoba jumped when he heard Tae's voice beckoning him from the kitchen. He found that his appetite had yet to return, but sat down at the table and made an attempt to eat despite.

"Thanks for the food." With each bite he grew hungrier, the edge he'd been feeling since finding the beaten and battered male simply melting away. He was still concerned for the boy in the other room, and almost hoping that it wasn't Noiz. Though he wanted to see his dear friend again he feared the discovery that said friend had become a complete stranger.

Aoba stood at the sink, washing his dish and lost in thought. Tae sat at the table and watched his back in a concerned matter.

"Worried about the boy?" she asked. The water slowly came to a stop and the grandson turned and nodded shortly. "He should be fine," assured his granny. She sounded confident. This comforted Aoba a bit. They reappeared in the living room to find their patient awake and sitting up, holding his head with a grimace.

"Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?" Tae asked. He remained silent, unmoving. "I asked you a question, boy." Her tone was stern, but far from angry. His green eyes slowly rose and fell upon her wrinkled features. There was that look again. Aoba felt uneasy at the sight. When the blond's icy gaze switched to him something seemed to jump in his chest. Tae crossed the room and grabbed the scuffed and swollen face suddenly, forcing him to look at her. "You going to answer me?"

"Why should I?" he hissed in distinct agitation, then attempted to turn his face back to Aoba. Tae held him firmly.

"One would think you'd be appreciative. I just sat here and took time to patch your ungrateful ass up." His jaw was clenched, clearly growing tired of the old woman's attitude. Just when it looked as though he were ready to swing at her, his cold eyes closed and his features softened ever so slightly.

"Thanks," he muttered. Accepting, yet not quite satisfied with the minimal response, Tae released him and nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Tae repeated now that things seemed to have calmed down a bit. He looked to Tae, then to Aoba.

"...Fine." He kept his voice low as he spoke, brows furrowed. His attention returned to Tae. "My... head hurts." Aoba was burning with curiosity. An inquisitive thirst eating away at him, pushing to be released. It took all of his restraint to not riddle him with question after question. The top one, of course, being his identity.

"Well, that's to be expected," Tae said in response to the stranger's complaint. "How did you manage to get a cut on your head in the first place? Who did all of this to you?" Once again, the blond went silent. This defiance thing wasn't going to sit well with Tae. It never did. Aoba had gone through that stage as well, and it certainly hadn't lasted long. Before the old woman could open her mouth to no doubt spit a venomous lecture about respecting his elders, the young man spoke up.

"Aoba, it's been a long time." Aoba's eyes were wide and something in his psyche seemed to snap as his hunch was confirmed.

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**Author's note:**

**Welp, that's the second chapter! I'm having a difficult time motivating myself to update this... That's not good. It's only just started! ; 3 ;**

**Review if you'd like. Constructive criticism is always welcome! ( :**

_Peace, love, and gore_

_~Tobe_


	3. Change

**Let me just take this moment to bawl uncontrollably. My story has a follower ;3; Words can't express my gratitude. I was honestly considering trashing this fiction because it's kind of shit in my opinion. I didn't think anyone would like it. Now that it has a follower I won't trash it. I'll work hard and make it better ^^ I'll make it worth reading! I just need to get into the hang of writing and uploading fan fics. : P**

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**Chapter 3**

It churned and pulled as though the undertow of a undeniably strong current had spilled into his very being, flowing through his diaphragm and quaking his very being. Aoba was infuriated. The worst part was that he hadn't a clue as to why he was so angry. His teeth were clenched and the room was practically oozing with a bad aura that seemed thick enough to solidify the surrounding air, casting a spell of petrification to all within its reach. Noiz maintained a perfect poker-face, untouched by his senior's sudden change in mood.

Tae was taken aback momentarily as she allowed everything to register. Why had this stranger known Aoba's name? Why did this stranger speak to her grandson as if formerly acquainted? It had yet to click in her mind that this person was Noiz. She certainly wouldn't have pegged him as the rebellious type to run off and load his face with metal. She acknowledged, however, that he did look familiar.

Noiz and Aoba had their gazes locked as though they each had a gun pointed at the other, waiting for that first twitch of a single finger to signify the end for the one with the slowest reaction.

"Where the hell did you go?" Aoba took the first shot. "You were my only friend back then, and you just up and vanished without a single hint of an explanation." Noiz appeared unscathed. It was then that Tae realized what was happening.

"Noiz?" she suddenly gasped, remembering the small face of the boy when she had known him. Both boys turned their attention to her. Her grandson sighed.

"I tried telling you earlier that I thought it was him." He turned back to the blond. The granny was greatly shocked, as was Aoba at first. Aoba was now more furious than he was surprised. Who disappears for ten years, then suddenly reappears one day? This was in the same manner as a dog re-approaching his old owner, tail between his legs, after running away and being brutally beaten by his new owner. Though Noiz was far from having his tail between his legs.

"I didn't realize I was obligated to explain myself to you. Where I went is none of your concern," spat Noiz harshly. Aoba's brow twitched irritably.

"Ten years, Noiz. TEN YEARS. Did you come back just to show me what a complete ass you've become?" Tae was now recoiling back, settling on preoccupying herself elsewhere for the time being and letting the young ones _reacquaint_ themselves. Ren remained at his owner's feet watching Noiz closely, poised and ready to strike should a single harmful finger be lifted towards Aoba.

Noiz looked away from the blue-haired male, glaring at something to his side instead.

"Ending up here wasn't intentional. It was just a coincidence that I happened to collapse so close to your house." Was this meant to be taken seriously? It may have sounded convincing, but was Aoba honestly expected to believe that Noiz collapsing just a few feet away from his front door was purely coincidental? When things are left to chance, fate certainly had a funny way of dealing the most interesting of hands, but this was beyond improbable.

"I know you're lying. You came here for a reason," Aoba accused. "When I found you laying outside I didn't know what to think. I wanted it to be you, but at the same time I didn't. This is what I was afraid of. You've changed, Noiz. What happened?" His tone was much softer than before. The hostility was slowly disintegrating. Noiz continued to avert his eyes, refusing to acknowledge Aoba. It remained like this for a few moments, though it felt like much longer. The silence itself almost had a noise of its own, a bellowing buzz of sorts that rang through their ears.

Noiz didn't appear any more willing to speak as the minutes ticked by. He kept his focus on the floor to avoid Aoba's prying gaze. After a while a scent quite familiar to Aoba wafted into the room. Noiz felt that he had smelled it once before as well, but he wasn't quite sure. In the kitchen Tae was hard at work making doughnuts for the three of them to share in this tense moment. Something about Tae's donuts – or perhaps her cooking in general – always brought people closer and eased away all unpleasantries.

Ren could no longer handle the silence and tension, so, after deducting that Noiz posed to serious threat to his master, he scurried off to the kitchen to keep the granny company. Aoba sighed as he watched his dog leave, then moved to procure the spot next to the blond. Noiz scooted away slightly, still looking down. His brows were stitched with concentration and laced with anger. This concerned Aoba greatly.

Aoba was beginning to question his memories of Noiz. Not only was ten years long enough to change a person, but it was also long enough to impair and alter one's memories. Had Noiz always been like this and Aoba just forgot?

"Come to the kitchen, boys," Tae called. Aoba stood and obediently started for the kitchen, turning to beckon a hand at the other male to join. Green eyes finally glanced up. He waited until Aoba walked away before standing and following.

The aroma was delightful to say the least, and the three of them felt anticipation pulling at their salivating tongues. Though Tae and Aoba had eaten not too long ago, room had certainly been left for dessert. Granny brought the large bowl to the table, a couple of the balls falling to the floor. Ren happily cleaned the mess.

There was no hesitation on either Aoba or Granny's side as they grabbed a doughnut of their own and bit into it. After a minute or so Noiz also reached for one as well. Both Aoba and Tae were relieved. Noiz seemed to be easing up just a bit. He still refused to talk, or even offer a single glance at either of them. Tae and Aoba decided to carry a conversation of their own, talking about the grandson's day prior to the surprise he came home to.

All was serene for the time being. The two continued their talk whilst occasionally reaching over and taking another ball of fried dough to nibble on. Noiz was now listening partially to the conversation and looking between the two of them. This was an environment he clearly wasn't accustomed to. When Aoba glanced over at Noiz he caught a certain expression. Noiz looked lonely, just like he had as a kid at times. Apparently that hadn't changed over the years.

Tae noticed the look as well, the room growing silent once more. She leaned back in her chair and released a long sigh.

"I don't think I could eat another bite," her crackled old voice spoke. "Noiz," she began, staring at the younger boy. "It's good to see you again." She truly was happy, though her face usually seemed to be pulled down into a grumpy scowl, the beginnings of a smile were almost apparent.

Tae had fixed Noiz a plate of what she had made for herself and Aoba for dinner. He had eaten it, but remained silent for the remainder of the evening. The couch now had a blanket and a pillow on it, the bloodied towels having been removed and thrown into the laundry, and Noiz lay fast asleep. Tae was also asleep in her bed, but Aoba was wide awake. He stood out on his balcony and watched a couple of people move about the street. The night air was cool and refreshing as it blew gently over the young man.

He remained outside for a while before stepping in and locking the door behind him. He tiptoed downstairs and took a peek in the living-room. Noiz had been quite tired, apparently. As soon as he had laid down he was out. His soft breathing signaled that he was sleeping soundly.

Even his sleeping face looked agitated... Aoba frowned at this and headed back up to his room to get some sleep as well.

He plopped down onto his bed, Ren jumping up and laying next to him. Fuzzy images bounced through his head as he closed his eyes and entered a dreamer's state. It would be a night of half-dreaming. Many different scenes would play within his mind, but wouldn't be able to form an actual dream. It was doubtful he would remember any of the nonsense the following morning. He slept peacefully, not an unpleasant thought to be found.

When morning came with the relentless ringing of Aoba's phone alarm, he stretched and quickly dismissed the noisy notification. The dull pattering of rain could be heard on the roof above. He reluctantly stood and went downstairs to get a shower. Walking past the living-room, however, he noticed that a certain blond guest seemed to be missing in action. He looked around himself with a frown.

He walked about the house in a quick search, but failed to find his friend. Noiz had apparently left the premises. Shaking his head and not really knowing what to feel, Aoba moved to the bathroom and turned on the shower to let it heat up. He grabbed a towel and began to strip before slipping into the warmth, adjusting the temperature accordingly. He couldn't help the buzzing thoughts as he bathed. Where had Noiz gone this time? Would he be returning?

With a sigh he turned off the water once the task had been finished. He dried off and took his dirty clothes to the laundry pile, then trudged up stairs to get dressed with his towel secured around his waist. Upon entering his room he gasped and nearly jumped out of his very skin.

"N-Noiz!" Aoba quickly grabbed his towel to make sure it wasn't going to fall. Noiz was sitting on his bed, petting a very content Ren who was curled up in his lap. Noiz looked up at Aoba, seemingly unfazed by the half-naked man in front of him. "When did you get in here? I thought you left!"

"I was out there," answered the younger as he beckoned towards the door that led to the small balcony. "You were both still asleep when I woke up, so I let myself into your room and stepped outside for a bit." It shocked Aoba that Noiz had entered his room unannounced and slipped outside without waking him. It was even more shocking that Ren hadn't alerted his sleeping owner of the intrusion. Had he not noticed either?

I... see," Aoba muttered, feeling a bit foolish for having searched the entire house for the male and he had been here, right under his nose, the whole time. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, I've got to get dressed for work, so..." Noiz eased Ren onto the bed and quietly left the room, shutting the door behind him.

_Why would he have gone out to the balcony? _Aoba wondered as he dressed himself. _Unless... _When the two were young and hung out all the time, if it ever rained they would come inside. They often times stood out on the balcony and watched the rain. Did Noiz remember that?

When he opened his door and stepped back out his senses were met with the alluring aroma of breakfast being prepared. Tae was right on time. _As always, _thought Aoba as he headed downstairs and into the kitchen. A plate sat in front of a very hesitant Noiz and another was being prepared for Aoba to eat before going to work. It was nice to be eating breakfast with Noiz again.

Aoba helped his grandmother clean up the dishes since he had a bit of extra time, then grabbed an umbrella and his house key as he headed out. Noiz followed him to the door.

"You going somewhere today?" he asked the blond. The only response he received was a short nod. "Stay right here, then. I'll go get you an umbrella." Aoba walked passed Noiz and went in search for another umbrella. There was always an extra one in Tae's room, so with the permission of Granny he retrieved it and returned to the door. Aoba found himself standing alone, though, staring at the pouring rain through the open door.

Noiz was gone, this time having left for sure. Aoba left the other umbrella by the door and closed and locked the door after Ren hurried out to be at his side. It certainly wasn't going to be fun walking to work in such horrid weather. He momentarily felt bad for Noiz, who was treading in the rain without so much as an umbrella, but then he remembered that the male had left on his own accord without a single word. The pity was gone now, leaving in its place slight irritation.

The puddles squished beneath his boots. Aoba could feel the water seeping in through the sides of his shoes, soaking his feet. He hated this feeling. Ren also didn't like getting his paws wet in the rain. He walked as though there were bags tied to each of his paws, shaking off the wetness when they reached Heibon. They were greeted by Haga as they stepped inside to the warmth of the shop.

"You're both quite soaked!" Haga pointed out in a concerned tone. "Hold on one moment and I'll see if I have any towels." The man disappeared into the back of the shop for a moment, then returned with two hand-towels. "Sorry they're so small, but it's better than nothing I suppose." Aoba took the towels saying, "Thanks," and smiling softly at his boss as he bent down to dry Ren off. He stood and dried himself off as best he could, then handed the wet towels back to Haga and went to sit behind the counter.

The phone was ringing off the hook all morning. By the time lunch came around Aoba's throat was tingling from all of the negotiating and order-taking he had been doing. Due to the phone being so busy, Haga handled most of the walk-ins himself. Aoba was relieved to have a lunch break once the calls had slowed down enough for Haga to handle things himself for a bit.

The rain had already stopped and the clouds dissipated in areas, golden beams shining lazily through the open spots. Aoba took this opportunity to walk to a nearby cafe. They always had delicious handmade sandwiches, as well as perfectly brewed herbal teas. He ordered a sandwich and a simply cup of green tea to go, eating as he went for a small walk. He dropped a few pieces for the begging dog at his feet as well, chuckling as Ren happily devoured the scraps.

By the time he had finished his sandwich he was in front of a familiar hair salon. He glanced in through the glass door to see what Koujaku was up to. His friend seemed to be slacking off and just sitting around, chatting casually with a couple of girls. When the man looked up and saw Aoba he seemed to gleam with joy. He hurried to the door, much to the dismay of the ladies with whom he had previously been conversing, and greeted Aoba with a great hug.

"It's been a while~!" Koujaku said as he parted from Aoba. Aoba frowned and shook his head.

"It's only been a couple of days," he reminded him. Apparently that was a long time to Koujaku. "Anyway, I have something interesting to tell you. You remember that kid I told you about that I met after you left?" Aoba asked.

"You mean the one that just disappeared one day?" Aoba nodded in confirmation.

"That's the one," he said. He went on to explain the previous day and how he found Noiz beaten and unconscious, as well as how he just up and vanished that morning.

"This kid seems to have some problems..." Koujaku muttered after hearing everything. "Please be careful around him. Something just seems a bit off about this whole situation." Aoba frowned at his friend's suspicion.

"Some might say the same about you... You can seem a bit shady yourself, but you're really not. Don't judge him when you haven't even met him." He hadn't intended on getting so defensive. He had, in fact, thought the same thing that Koujaku was saying, but it angered him nonetheless for some reason.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Koujaku assured with a soft smile. "I'm just trying to look after you." Aoba nodded, then gasped as he remembered he was only on lunch break. He took out his phone and glanced at the time.

"Shit! I have to go!" he shouted, running into the direction of the shop, giving a quick wave to the man behind him.

* * *

**Author's note:**

**Thanks for reading! Review/critique if you want :3 Much love!**

Peace, love, and gore

~Tobe


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